Town of Kennebunk, ME

04/07/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 04/07/2025 12:27

Thinking of spraying for ticks and mosquitoes? Know the facts first!

The Kennebunk Conservation Commission has some tips on mosquito and tick control.

Products commonly used to control ticks also kill pollinators and many other insects. Some may sound benign. For instance, Permethrin mimics a compound produced by chrysanthemum flowers, but it is highly toxic to many beneficial insects. Other chemicals commonly used for tick control - bifenthrin, deltamethrin, and pyrethrin - also kill a wide variety of insects.

As an alternative to spraying pesticides, you can use these methods to help reduce your exposure to ticks and mosquitoes:

  • Keep areas where there will be foot traffic mowed to 3" or less. Ticks cannot survive in short grass.

  • Use insect repellent on your clothes when going outside.

  • Wear light colored clothing to make ticks easy to spot.

  • Put an oscillating fan on your deck. It confuses mosquitoes and keeps them away.

  • Drain stagnant water on your property.

  • Use commercially available mosquito dunks in standing water that you cannot drain.

  • Use Tick Tubes. Purchase or create tubes filled with cotton balls that have been soaked with permethrin, and place them around your yard. Mice use the cotton for nesting materials - they bring it back to the nest where it kills ticks. This is most effective in early spring and fall when mice are actively foraging for nesting materials.

  • Mosquito Dunks and materials for tick tubes are available at Kennebunk's local hardware stores.